Introduction.

A podcast is an episodic series of digital audio files which a user can download in order to listen, often using a subscription model where new episodes automatically download via web syndication to a personal device. For this blog I will explore the impact of podcasting on the traditional medium of radio, how podcasting has affected how we interact with audio content and how radio stations are taking advantage of the new medium to increase listenership.

A snippet of history: Podcasts.

While most people think podcasting is a post millennium phenomenon brought about by the rise in digital media in the 2000’s, what some lack to understand is that podcasts were first conceptualised in the late 1980’s and termed audio blogging. The time that it was however meant technology was limited, so while one had the necessary equipment to record audio, playback was a whole different ball game due to technological limitations. 

It took a number of years before technology would catch up with the want of the people and conform podcasts to the useful and entertaining medium we know them as today. By 1990’s, with the internet now available to the public, the stage was set for podcasting, we were just lacking an appropriate hardware system for download and playback. With the introduction of portable media players designed for music playback, advances in technology led to systems like the Rio PMP300 from Diamond Multimedia in September 1998 that the idea of being able to download audio files in sequence and listen to a series of podcasts came to fruition.

By 2000, the technology and hardware had outrun the capabilities of the software in relation to podcasting. The first system capable of the selection, autonomous downloading and storage of episodic audio content on personal computers and portable devices was launched by i2Go, an early MP3 player manufacturer. The device itself was eGo and was the same size as previously used portable cassette units and designed primarily for use in the car, functioning well as a pocket portable all things considered. 

The next big thing was the release of Apple’s iPod in 2001, a multimedia player with the capabilities to easily download, store and playback audio content. With the quick rise in popularity of the iPod and the Apple brand as a whole, it was in early February 2004, when the term podcasting was coined by Ben Hammersley to describe the new method of delivering content, while “padding out” an article for The Guardian newspaper. From their it seemed like a free for all as both big industry entities and the average person realised the accessibility and potential of podcasting.

Advantages in podcasting in relation to ease of access to a public platform.

The acceleration of podcasting from the late 2000’s to the position they hold in present day Ireland can be attributed to the Irish individuals love for radio and the ability to instantly access and share audio content that they find interesting, but isn’t necessarily available on radio broadcasts.[1] This demand, coupled with the unlimited access to smartphones and the Internet, has lowered the entry point for podcasting , allowing more diverse podcasts by people from all backgrounds, undercutting the radio industry in diversity of broadcasting and the voices we hear.

Podcasting is so accessible that it allows groups such as the LGBT+ community, human rights activists, and  those with opposing social political beliefs to have a public platform to voice their opinions on issues in a more open environment. People and groups who are marginalised in society are often completely restricted in their access to mainstream media, but podcasting gives anybody an entry point into the male dominated radio industry.  

With the likes of podcasting and other digital media rising in popularity, radio has had no choice but to jump on the digital media bandwagon. Evolving from a single person in a room with a recorder and editing software to whole live audience shows, podcasts are not just recordings of radio shows anymore, for example; Blindboy’s podcast is recorded in Vicar Street in front of a live studio audience. He engages with them in a real conversational and natural way, speaking on topics that are close to the heart of the Irish people, which is appealing to listeners. This is an aspect that would not be cost effective for radio but they do not just admit defeat. 

How podcasting has affected the Radio Industry.

While podcasting had a bright start, it hasn’t taken any dominance in the mainstream radio industry. Instead it can be observed as an enhancement, allowing radio stations to cater to the constant demand for fresh content. It has allowed radio stations to cater for those with niche interests, with 700,000 active podcasts and more than 29 million podcast episodes available online, covering every theme from parenting, sport, gardening, human rights, politics and much more. 

Podcasting also enables radio stations to cater for people who miss their favourite shows, archiving these shows in the form of podcasts so listeners from anywhere in the world can listen, at any time that suits. It has also given radio shows an opportunity to create more online content, with thousands of podcasts shared directly by radio shows social media pages every day. The latest figures released by the Joint National Listenership Research (JLNR), a joint industry research project, shows that radio stations across Ireland have over 10.8 million connections across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat

But it is not just the people or the radio industry that benefit. Podcasting has opened up an entryway for advertisers to further develop their customer base, due to the unrestricted demographic and the niche specific marketing that is now possible with podcasts.[10] It allows companies with a niche product or service, to specifically advertise on niche podcasts that represent or enhance their product. They can be assured they are reaching listeners of similar interests, given the radio station already has a clear idea of the target audience and listenership figures.

Once a medium thought of as a DIY industry full of individuals, podcasting has developed into a fully fledged mainstream audio blogging community with a dedicated and engaged audience. This may seem like enough to scare the radio industry, but given the context it’s still leaning to the insignificant side, with the industry adapting well. Though it can be said that podcasts and the traction they have built is enough to grab the attention of already established entities, telling me the media industry is taking podcasts very seriously. 

Podcasts and Journalism. 

When it comes to podcasting and the media industry, the two step flow theory can be applied in a social economical manner, in respect to how we interact with media. Watching the news on TV, or listening on the radio, we as a society and as individuals tend to lean towards believing the mainstream narrative that is pushed by broadcasting companies, while podcasting is interchangeable in it’s meaning and intentions depending on how we choose to understand it. 

In order to be a successful journalist, one must not just gather the relevant information and convey it in a manner that is easy to understand from a listener’s perspective. One must also do everything to encourage this information to be heard by the most important down to the average person. Information that is easy to understand is often easy to convey, so the manner in which you convey your findings determines how likely it is that your listener will pass on the story. In this day and age, with social media and the internet at the forefront of our lives, It is very easy to reach a large audience, especially when you have a set target audience with demographic information held by traditional radio stations and News media outlets.

The Irish Times took the lead in May 2013 in conjunction with The second Captains podcast, after the groups departure from their previously held radio show on NewsTalk. The show quickly became the most popular podcast in Ireland, winning the iTunes podcast of the year in 2014 and being chosen as one of the top ten British and Irish podcasts of all-time as part of iTunes Essentials list the following year. It was also selected as one of The Guardian’s 50 best podcasts of 2016 and remains Ireland’s most-listened-to podcast. The Irish Times have their own podcast studio and have created a network of podcasts devoted to politics, business and sport, but also produce magazine style shows and chat show style podcasts which have developed significant followings (based on iTunes charts). 

TheJournal.ie and it’s sister sports website The42.ie have invested a substantial amount of time, energy and money into it’s podcast game for both journalism reporting and entertainment. The42.ie now produces a rugby podcast and earlier this year, TheJournal.ie produced a podcast series called Left Behind, which focuses on how people had become activists for their causes. During the presidential election, both TheJournal.ie produced podcast interviews with each of the candidates. 

RTE Radio 1 seems to have the lead of the radio stations in relation to podcasting and journalism, with their Doc on One series having over 1500 podcasts available to stream, dating from the 1950’s to present day, covering every topic imaginable.They also have a series called Drama on One with hundreds of Irish dramatic writing for radio in the country releasing a new show each week. They also archive their radio shows in the form of podcasts for listening back, which they share regularly on their social media platforms.

Coming in a close second is NewsTalk who have a significant archive of both purposefully produced podcasts and repurposed radio shows for listen back options, covering topics such as current affairs, politics, gardening, dermatology, world news, music, movies and history. They also have a series of podcasts covering sports, from golfing to football, which have a significant following in regards to listeners and social media connections.

Asking questions.

As part of my research I wanted to get an idea of how podcasts are affecting the media industry from an insider. In my search for a reputable journalist with experience in podcasting, I came across an article published on Fora.ie written by Killian Woods, who has since moved on to be a business reporter with the Sunday Business Post. Formerly of Fora.ie, TheJournal.ie and Newstalk, at the time of contact Killian also appeared twice a month on Team33, a part of Newstalk’s Off The Ball series. He kindly agreed to answer my questions about his personal opinion on the podcasting vs radio industry.

1. Do you personally create or listen to podcasts, either Irish or those from abroad?

I make around two appearance a month on a football podcast called Team33 (it’s part of Newstalk’s Off The Ball network of shows and is also aired on Newstalk on Tuesday and Friday evenings).

I listen to podcasts a lot, but I also probably listen to more radio than many people in my age bracket. I first got into podcasts when I listened to the BBC Radio 5 Live World Football Phone In Show back around 2007. I still listen to this day. It’s on at an ungodly hour on Friday night/Saturday morning, so I never get to listen live.

I listen to a mix of current affairs and sports podcasts. I would rarely miss an episode of Second Captains (an Irish-produced and run podcast network) and wold binge listen to interviews on The Bill Simmons Podcast (which is part of an online media network called The Ringer) when I’m on a long drive.

I also use podcasts as a way to catch up/listen to some shows at my own convenience. I don’t usually catch the Marian Finucane sunday newspaper review when it’s on air, so I listen to the podcast. The same goes for the Off The Ball sunday newspaper review.

I’m slowly making my way through the latest series of Serial and would listen to the New Yorker Radio Hour if I’ve exhausted all my normal sources of current affairs podcasts. If Eamon Dunphy’s The Stand had a good guest, I’d listen in.

Other honourable mentions go to the following: The Alison Spittle Show and Desert Island Discs (which both have a great back catalogue of interviews with interesting guests).

2. Do you notice any shifts in how media industry views podcasts, either in a positive or negative light?

Based on my experience, media companies are treating podcasts very serious.

TheJournal.ie has invested a lot of time and effort recently into bringing its reporting into podcast form. During the presidential election, TheJournal.ie produced podcast interviews with each of the candidates. The Irish Independent did the same.

TheJournal.ie’s sister sports website The42.ie has also started producing a rugby podcast and earlier this year TheJournal.ie also produced a podcast series called Left Behind which focused on how people became activists for their causes.

The Irish Times probably took the lead in the podcast space back when they took on Second Captains to produce sports podcasts when that group left Newstalk. The IT have their own podcast studio and have invested a lot in creating a network of shows which have developed significant followings (I’m basing that on iTunes charts). They have podcasts devoted to politics, business and sport, but also produce magazine style show like The Women’s Podcast and also a chat show style podcast called Roisin Meets.

The Sunday Business Post has also dabbled in podcasts and looked to hone in on super niche topics – like health, media and tech – to try and see if there’s an appetite.

I’m not sure if any of these media companies have a key insight that proves podcasts are going to takeover radio or become a billion-euro sector overnight. I think there is still a big question mark over whether podcasts can become a financially lucrative.

I think what we’re seeing is media companies dabbling in new ways to tell stories and if podcasts do happen to explode over night, media companies don’t want to be left behind.

I would say the gold standard for producing podcasts are the likes of The Guardian and The Ringer. They seem to have cracked the code of podcast themes and know what areas to hone in on.

Media companies who are getting it wrong, in my opinion, are those who are just providing what is typically radio content – like a roundtable discussion between TDs talking about an issue in the news – in podcast form. The podcasts that seem to work are ones that really isolate a topic and go for that alone. It’s why parenting podcasts do very well. There’s very little radio content/shows directed at parents, so podcasts fill that hole.

3. Much like free lance writers, would you agree that pod casters are in a similar situation, in relation to their connection to the specific vocation?

I think podcasting is a good way to build up a portfolio if you want to move into radio long-term. I wouldn’t say they are exactly like freelance print journalists. Freelancing/blogging when you’re a writer is more likely to lead to a writing job in media, but very few podcast hosts go straight from hosting a podcast to hosting a radio show.

I still think a lot of on-air radio talent will come from doing the hard yards as a researcher then building your way up to be a reporter and then a stand-in presenter before getting your own show. Long-term, maybe the route from podcast presenting to radio presenting will become more common, but from working in radio I’ve seen that a lot of their desire is to develop talent from the bottom up.

4. Do you consider podcasts as part of the radio industry or have they grow to be an industry of its own?

Podcasts are their own industry, definitely, but there is some crossover because a lot of radio networks simply use podcast platforms as a way for people to catch up on shows they missed. I think we’ll see less and less of that going forward because the idea of what a podcast show is (or should be) in comparison to a radio show will become clearer.

5. Do you believe there is a narrative behind podcasting for social and political reasons and if so what would you describe that narrative as?

In the same way podcasts cater for very niche audiences, I think a lot of podcasts are very niche in their opinions. What radio does better than podcasts is present a variety of opinions in one place. I find a lot of podcasts are echo chambers for the same views and that doesn’t help discourse.

That wouldn’t put me off listening to some podcasts that are like echo chambers, because I don’t listen to some podcasts to hear both sides of a debate. For example, I might listen to a right-leaning political podcast because I want to hear where they are coming from and understand the source of their opinions. And I’d match listening to one-sided podcasts by maybe reading or listening to the counterargument of the left.

6. In regard to who you hear on the radio/podcast, do you believe that poscasting gives a voice to those who wish to be on radio but are not afforded the opportunity for whatever reason?

(IE, very little LGBT+ presenters on radio = large podcast selection with LGBT+ presenters)

I’d agree that the radio industry has a lot of issues when it comes to diversity and the podcast sector is used as an outlet by a lot of people to get their voice heard.

Woods, K. (2019). Ireland’s ‘love affair’ with radio. [email].

Conclusion, opinion.

Overall, I feel that while podcasting has not encroached on the radio industry, but it has grabbed it’s attention. The media industry in general have been able to use it to their advantage, for entertainment and journalism purposes. It has become a stand alone industry, with millions of podcasts listened to daily, as well as an extra form of content for radio stations and news outlets alike. On the other hand, Podcasting has had a much more obvious effect on the individuals who use or listen to the platform. Giving everyone an opportunity to get their voices heard is an advantage podcasting will always have over radio, purely based on its structure and purpose. This accessability seems to have given us a thirst to speak and listen, from anywhere, at any time.

Even the Irish government has taken notice of the public’s want to podcast, approving funding to install new technology in libraries across the country to allow the public access a suitable place for podcasting. This accommodation of such a minor form of media really does show that we as Irish people are taking media seriously in all of it’s forms, with our drive to create the content we crave, we are slowly evolving into a media centred people.

Bibliography

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Ely, G. (2018). For Traditional Radio, It’s All About Harnessing The Power Of Digital. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/geneely/2018/05/18/for-traditional-radio-its-all-about-harnessing-the-power-of-digital/#2b21904a6438 [Accessed 8 Jan. 2019].

Higgins, A. (2018). Irish public can soon use libraries to record podcasts as €8m funding confirmed. [online] The Irish Sun. Available at: https://www.thesun.ie/news/3115714/irish-libraries-podcast-equipment-funding/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2019].

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Advertisecast.com. (2019). Radio Advertising Versus Podcast Advertising- Everything You Need to Know. [online] Available at: https://www.advertisecast.com/podcast-vs-radio-advertising [Accessed 20 Jan. 2019].

Resler, S. (2017). 5 Ways Podcasts Are Different From Radio Shows…And Why It Matters. [online] Jacobs Media Strategies. Available at: https://jacobsmedia.com/podcasts-are-different-from-radio-shows-and-it-matters/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2019].

Vicarstreet.ie. (2019). Vicar Street, Dublins Premier Venue. [online] Available at: http://www.vicarstreet.ie/thelist-dashboard/show/1363-the-blindboy-podcast-tour-vicar-street.html [Accessed 22 Aug. 2019].

Woods, K. (2018). How Ireland’s ‘love affair’ with radio could turn podcasts into a fresh ‘threat’ for broadcasters. [online] Fora.ie. Available at: https://fora.ie/podcast-industry-ireland-business-4099154-Jul2018/ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2019].

Woods, K. (2019). Ireland’s ‘love affair’ with radio. [email].